


opposites attract

by kinneyb



Category: Dear Evan Hansen - Pasek & Paul/Levenson
Genre: First Kiss, Getting Together, M/M, Mental Institutions, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-29
Updated: 2019-10-29
Packaged: 2021-01-08 03:43:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21229229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kinneyb/pseuds/kinneyb
Summary: Connor's placed in a mental hospital (again) for his latest suicide attempt. His roommate is a weird kid named Evan, who barely talks. They're both so wildly different but slowly find themselves becoming unexpected friends.





	opposites attract

**Author's Note:**

> warnings for self harm, suicidal thoughts/discussions, and also abuse in later chapters (evan's father)  
follow me on twitter @ queerwaugh if u want!

Connor _hated_ the hospital. To be fair, it was his fault he was here in the first place; his third suicide attempt of the year had obviously been unsuccessful. Next time he would just drive off a cliff or something because he could not keep doing this.

At least he didn't have a roommate-- small blessings-- because the other kid using this room had been discharged just a day before he was admitted. Apparently, they had _fixed_ him. He was _better_ now.

Connor had nearly laughed at the prospect. No, no, they don't _fix_ people. They just teach people how to lie, pretend, act the part everyone else wants from them.

He should know; he was basically an expert on this shit.

"Connor," a nurse interrupted his brooding, peeking through the slit in the door.

He sat up in his bed and pointedly did not look at her. He assumed she'd just come to fetch him for breakfast, anyway. Frankly, he wasn't very hungry.

"Connor," she repeated firmly.

He sighed heavily and finally look at her. "What?" he snapped heatedly.

He remembered her name now; Julia. She was one of the younger nurses, no less annoying than the older ones though.

"Come with me," Julia said. "They need you in the office."

Connor blanched and scrambled to his feet. "I didn't _do_ anything-- "

"No, no," she raised her hand. "Calm down, Connor. You're not in trouble. Just follow me."

Frowning, he grumbled and followed after her. He didn't have a choice, really. If he wasn't in trouble now, he certainly would be for disobeying a nurse. He probably knew the twists and turns of the building just as well as Julia.

Finally, they stopped in front of the office; a tiny room with large windows.

"Go on," she said, gesturing.

Connor opened the door and lingered, watching as she walked off. Shaking his head, he turned away and entered the small room. It was so stupidly _cold_. Fuck them for taking all his jackets and long sleeved shirts.

"Connor," the head nurse, Amy, appeared from a door conjoining the office and what he knew was an impossibly small bathroom. "How are you feeling, dear?"

He stared at her.

"Right, well," Amy cleared her throat and sat down behind her desk. "You've been doing amazingly, Connor," she praised, as she always did, even when he was in trouble. "No fights, no-- " her eyes flickered to his arms or, more accurately, to his scars. Connor frowned and shoved his hands in his pockets. "So, you must be wondering why I've called you here."

Connor just silently raised an eyebrow.

"Good news," she continued, clapping her hands together. "You're getting a roommate!"

Oh, fuck _her_.

"I'd really prefer if I didn't," he remarked. He knew he didn't have a choice, but still. He wasn't going down without a fight.

Amy leveled him with a disapproving look. "We find that most people get out quicker once they have a roommate."

"Yeah," he laughed, dry. "Because they're fucking running from each other."

Amy sighed heavily. "Language, Connor, please." And for a moment, she sounded just like his mother.

He shrugged sharply, staying silent.

"Please just... try, okay? Say, a week." Amy stared at him, soft and pleading. "If you're still unhappy with the new arrangement, we'll move him."

The look she was giving him definitely reminded him of his mother.

He looked away. "Okay, fuck, fine," he said, because he could survive a week. The other kid? Possibly not.

Amy beamed. "Great, I'll get everything settled and he should be here in a couple hours. You can go now, Connor."

Rolling his eyes, he turned away.

"Oh, and Connor," she said. "_Language_."

Connor took a deep breath and gripped the handle of the door with enough force his knuckles turned a ghastly white. "Yes, of course, Amy," he replied sarcastically.

/

Connor skipped lunch. He was always surprised they allowed it, to be honest. Though a nurse did always show up with a granola bar after.

Sitting in bed, he flipped through a book, not really reading it, and eating his granola bar.

He was on edge, had been ever since he got the news from Amy.

Finally, the wait was over. He heard a soft knock at the door and sat up straighter, tossing the book. The door opened and Amy stepped in, a bright smile on her face. "Connor," she said. "_This_ is Evan," she stepped out of the way and a short boy walked into the room, face adorned with freckles.

Connor immediately hated him. He looked-- shy, like he obeyed the rules, _boring_.

Though, to be here...

Connor's eyes flickered to his exposed arms, looking for any sign of scars. Fresh or old.

Amy cleared her throat. "Connor," she said sharply, and when he looked up she looked displeased. "Be _nice_."

He grinned at her. "I'm _always_ nice, aren't I, Amy?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

Come on, tell the new boy-- Evan-- just what he was in for.

"Your things will be brought up in a few minutes," she said, turning toward Evan with warm, motherly eyes. "Go ahead and settle in. You missed lunch but we saved you a plate. I'll have one of the nurses bring it up."

Evan didn't even nod; just stared at her. Amy, surprisingly, didn't get angry though.

"Okay, great. Um. Have fun, boys. Be nice, Connor," she repeated.

He waggled his fingers as she left the room.

Connor didn't say anything and Evan obviously wasn't going to start up a conversation. Evan shuffled over and sat down on the other bed. No blanket, no sheet. Connor watched him.

"They'll bring you a blanket and sheet later," he said finally when Evan looked vaguely confused. "We don't get them during the day, only at night. Afraid we might hang ourselves or something. They check on us _religiously_ during the night, sadly."

Evan startled and looked over at him. He looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"Do you... _talk_?" Connor asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Evan looked away.

"Okay," Connor laughed dryly. "_Great_."


End file.
